Commenting on the speech given today by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, on welfare, Chris, said:

“This is the same rhetoric that we have heard from the Prime Minister for the last five years, which is designed to distract from the reality of low-paid, hardworking families and from the fact that most of those receiving benefits and tax credits for their children are actually in work.

“Under the Prime Minister’s watch, 3.7 million children in the UK are now living in poverty, a figure set to rise by 600,000 over the next two years, as a result of the Government’s continuation of its economic and social policies.

“Across the country, parents and carers are facing increasing costs in supporting their children’s education as a result of the freedoms and flexibilities introduced by the Government. The ideological pursuit of further privatisation and marketisation of our education system will only add to the financial woes faced by parents and carers.

“Rather than foster greater social mobility, this Government will only exacerbate the inequality and injustice we are already witnessing in our society, with children and young people bearing the brunt.”